HOPE CONGREGATIONAL ASSESSMENT - First Christian Church Concord, CA DRAFT June 28, 2018 John M. Derby, Sr. MBA, Assessor
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HOPE CONGREGATIONAL ASSESSMENT
First Christian Church
Concord, CA
June 28, 2018
DRAFT
John M. Derby, Sr. MBA, Assessor
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................Page 3
CONGREGATIONAL HISTORY..........................................................................Page 5
CURRENT PARTICIPATION ..............................................................................Page 11
THE COMMUNITY...........................................................................................Page 15
ONLINE PRESENCE..........................................................................................Page 25
FACILITIES EXAMINATION ..............................................................................Page 27
FINANCIAL REVIEW ........................................................................................Page 36
SUMMARY ......................................................................................................Page 39
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE STORY........................................................Page 40
FINAL WORD ..................................................................................................Page 41
Appendix A: APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY NOTES .................................................Page 42
Appendix B: MOSAIC HOUSEHOLD TYPE DESCRIPTIONS ...............................Page 47
Appendix C: EXECUTIVE INSITE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ..................................Page 53
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INTRODUCTION
First Christian Church in Concord, California has a long and distinguished history of being
a leader in the faith community of the city. With the departure of its Senior Minister at
the end of last year, and now under the pastoral leadership of an intentional Interim
Minister who joined them in January, the First Christian Church congregation will soon
be seeking a new permanent Senior Minister. To know what direction to take, and to
seek clarity, they have now begun a process to examine their current situation and to
look forward in order to plan for a transformation to reach the shared future of their
church.
The one event probably having the most impact on the future of First Christian Church
in Concord is the planned reuse of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station with the
development of the land into the city’s newest neighborhoods and open spaces. By
2030, it is projected that over 12,000 new housing units and over 6.1 million square feet
of commercial floor space will be added to the market. With 28,800 new residents
representing about a 25 percent increase in residents in Concord, the church will
certainly have more opportunities to do God’s work in Concord.
This Epiphany Process is very much about the congregation seeking to define and carry
out its mission to meet the spiritual needs of people in their community. The people of
First Christian Church have entered into this process to seek God’s guidance in best
fulfilling their mission as a spiritual home for hundreds of people in Concord as it is
today and to meet the needs of the new people who will be moving into Concord to live
in the next decade.
This assessment is one piece of the Epiphany Process.
WHY THIS ASSESSMENT?
In his book “START WITH WHY” Simon Sinek discusses WHY
how great leaders have significant focus on why they HOW
exist. While most leaders focus on what they do, the
leaders that excel are clear about why they do it. It is a WHAT
connection of passion with purpose.
Congregational leaders are usually very clear about
what their church does. They can often tell how the
congregation goes about doing its tasks—but things
get fuzzier when you ask them why they do it. We call
this “The Why”.
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Churches function best when they have clarity about WHY they exist. Based on that
“why” the church organizes their life around their passion and calling rather than filling
spots because we’ve always done it that way before.
This report will help leaders of the congregation name their current condition—during
the process of discovering their “why”
Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation –a ministry of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)—has a passion for seeing new life in congregations. With the power
and presence of the Holy Spirit, we hope this assessment helps your congregation in
three ways. The first intent of this assessment is to help your congregation come to
clarity about hard decisions you need to make in terms of the use of your
assets/resources for mission. The second intent is to give the congregational leaders
tools for defining a future story in mission that is true both to historic commitments and
relevant for 21st century need. The third intent is to help leaders see that you have an
abundance of resources that can be used in new ways that will lead towards joining God
in God’s mission.
WHERE DID THIS REPORT COME FROM?
Your congregation’s leaders worked closely with John Derby from Hope Partnership,
who wrote this assessment. The onsite Assessment visit was held on June 28, 2018 at
the church. It included a complete tour of the facilities and property, as well as an hour-
long meeting with financial officers of the church to discuss finances. The assessment
visit also included a “windshield tour” of the community to confirm the demographic
data.
That evening, an Appreciative Inquiry session with about 28 participants was held. These
folks discussed their engagement with the church, their perceptions about
congregational life today and their opinion about the congregation’s position on the
Congregational Life-Cycle scale. The onsite visit amounted to about six hours of “face
time” with the congregation.
Additionally, data in this report came from congregational records and from the past ten
years of the congregation’s reports to the denominational website. Information
collected includes demographic data about the participants in the church, their
approximate tenure in the congregation, income and expense reports for the past three
years and a current balance sheet. This information about your congregation is
collected, sorted, and measured to give all of us a better idea of the factors that impact
your congregation’s ministry in this time and place.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Your leadership has been engaged in an Experiential Retreat to discover the ins and outs
of transformational leadership, and to begin thinking about their mission in new ways.
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This report is for their use at the second retreat. At that retreat, the leaders will
summarize and name the current condition of the congregation—name the available
resources and begin to think about a new future story. This document will be
foundational for those conversations.
After leaders develop their future story, Hope will continue to work with your
congregation in developing a capacity report that will eventually lead to your timeline
and next steps through coaching.
But now you need to take a look at the congregation’s current context and condition.
You will find in this report an analysis of your congregation now, and the people you call
neighbors.
This process is ultimately designed to help the leadership have a healthy—and holy—
conversation that engages all interested members in creating a future story
In addition to Assessments, Hope Partnership offers training and coaching for pastoral
leaders. For more information about any of these services, please call 800-274-1883, visit
www.HopePMT.org .
CONGREGATIONAL HISTORY
When First Christian Church was founded in 1885, it was Concord’s third church. 17
families joined together to form the church. Its first sermons were given by a circuit
minister. They met wherever they could find space, for a while in a building at the
Presbyterian Church and for a while upstairs above a saloon.
In 1889, they built a sanctuary at the corner of
Mt. Diablo Street and Concord Boulevards. As
the construction neared completion, two
women of the church drove through the streets
of Concord in a horse-drawn surrey collecting
donations. The two raised $1500, and “even
Presbyterians and Catholics contributed.”
Through their efforts, the new church started off
debt-free and could focus instead on spiritual
ministry and serving the community. Although
those early days were difficult, the church held together due to the dedication, tenacity
and faithfulness of its early members.
The church began to thrive and serve its ever-growing congregation. In 1951, members
created a long-range plan for a new church facility. They purchased a tomato farm of
about 7 acres at 3039 Willow Pass Road. Extra acreage not used by the church was later
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sold to the City of Concord. Church buildings were soon constructed and in 1955, the
church moved into its new facilities and has been worshipping there since.
First Christian Church has a rich history of reaching out, welcoming the stranger, and
proclaiming the unconditional love of God for all people. For more than 130 years this
congregation has been a light of welcome in the city of Concord.
Some of the highlights of church activities over many years have included:
Welcoming and sponsoring refugee families from Germany, Romania and later
from Vietnam.
Each year since 1978, a group has traveled on a Mission Trip across the border
into Tijuana, Mexico. Over time they have built close to 100 homes. The Mexico
Mission celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2018.
For more than 30 years, FCC has been hosting ten Alcoholics Anonymous
meetings throughout the week.
Since 1984, the church has been the home of the SHARE Food Pantry, which
serves nearby communities in central Contra Costa County and is open four days
during the week for food distribution and donations.
In 1992, after a yearlong process of study and discernment, the congregation
voted to become an Open and Affirming congregation.
More recently, during the leadership of Senior Pastor Russ Peterman, the church
introduced new programs and outreach activities. These included:
An Annual Blessing of the Animals in September and a Longest Night Service in
December.
The Winter Nights program offers temporary shelter for homeless families and
with another church provides meals and other services to them during the
winter.
The church participates in the Concord area Cropwalk to raise money for
worldwide disaster relief, refugee aid and fighting hunger and launched local
supper/food pantry programs.
The church supports a nearby elementary school and recognition for its teachers
at the end of the school year.
Working in partnership with Contra Costa Interfaith Coalition to bring church
resources to those in need in Contra Costa County.
Hosting seminary students each year as part of their field education.
A Senior Adult Ministry was created and a Director of Senior Adult ministries was
hired.
In 2017, the congregation provided a booth at the Pride on the Plaza gathering in
downtown Concord. An anti-racism training event was held at the church and
the church hosted the Regional Annual Gathering.
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In 2016, after a long-range vision plan that led to a capital campaign, called “Widening
Our Welcome”, the congregation completed an extensive remodeling project to update
its facilities and to make its campus more inviting and accessible. The Sanctuary,
Narthex, Worship and Wonder Room, Plambeck Room (formerly the Library) and other
areas of the church were remodeled.
The Montessori School of Concord, on the First Christian Church campus, has been
creating a place for children to learn for twenty-five years. The Fellowship Hall is leased
by the Contra Costa Bridge Center, which meets during the week to provide educational
and playing opportunities for bridge players across the county.
After 12 years, Senior Minister Russ Peterman, accepted a call to University Christian
Church in Fort Worth, Texas in December of 2017. A search committee was formed and
Interim Minister, David Ernat was called as part-time pastor in January, 2018 and the
church entered into a period of intentional transformation.
BY THE NUMBERS
Your congregational history includes lives, words, songs and achievements that defy
measurement. But this report, you may already have noticed, dwells on data – numbers,
numbers, and numbers! Why do we seem so interested in numbers? In part, we pay
attention to numbers because they help us track changes over time; they show growth
or decline in giving or attendance, along with other information that signals the trends
of the last decade that seem to impact your congregation. Numbers are not the only
measure of vitality. Yet numbers provide insight into the direction the congregation is
heading.
We also track numbers because the size of a congregation determines the best
approach to ministry in that context. Church consulting colleagues at the Alban Institute
point out that size makes all the difference in the world in how a congregation operates.
And if your congregation, for example, was once a large church that has since become a
small church, this information may be critical to understanding the way forward. Most
likely, your solutions today will not be accomplished the way they were in days of
your former glory. Understanding this is half the battle in regaining your footing as
you strive to be faithful to the congregation’s call.
SMALL CHURCHES FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS
Small “family-sized” churches (50 or less people in average weekly worship) tend to
resemble extended families and thus emphasize fellowship, relationships, intimacy,
belonging and member involvement. People matter more than performance, so high
value is placed on volunteering, rather than on professional skills one may possess for
the work that needs to be conducted. Churches with fewer members actually rely more
heavily on lay volunteers. These small churches tend to be lay-led organizations, and
thus they may be reluctant to hand over too much authority to the minister. The
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perception of the minister’s job is to love the members – and that relationship trumps
even mediocre preaching. In the estimation of small congregations, ministers need
interpersonal skills more than academic credentials or leadership qualities. The small-
church minister is but one leader among many—and, in many cases, may not be the
most influential.
BIGGER ISN’T BETTER—JUST DIFFERENT
Congregations in the “clergy-centered”
congregations, with 51-to-150 people
in weekly worship range, tend to hand
over more responsibility for care of the
congregation to the clergy. In these
congregations, the clergy’s presence at
meetings and activities is very
important. The clergy brings most
proposals to the church board for
decision. Most decisions involve the
clergy in one way or another. Lay
leaders are primarily those who are
empowered by or taught by the clergy.
Congregations in the 150-to-400 worshipper range are considered “program-centered”
and their expectations are different from smaller congregations. Those who attend
program-size churches tend to seek quality over relationships. They want well-run
programs, well-organized activities and professional leaders. Many leadership roles are
filled by paid staff people (musicians, children and youth coordinators, bookkeepers,
facilities managers, etc.). In smaller congregations, these roles would be filled by trained
volunteers. The governance structure of the large church is often very large with several
clearly defined committees and/or ministry teams.
First, with an Average Worship Attendance of 60 this congregation is a “clergy-
centered” church. To learn more about this topic, and your church’s size, we
recommend reading Alice Mann’s books, The In-Between Church: Navigating Size
Transitions in Congregations, and Raising the Roof: The Pastoral-to-Program Size
Transition. If you are experiencing utter frustration that what used to work DOESN’T
work any more, you may be facing a size shift. But chances are, there are other
dynamics at work in your congregation as well, including: changing demographics in
your neighborhood, inability for differing generations to agree on the way mission and
ministry should be done, and outdated modes of decision-making and organization. To
understand the specific dynamics at work in your congregation, a number of other
factors should be addressed.
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TEN-YEAR TRENDS
Let’s look at Average Worship Attendance over the last ten years. Trends in attendance
offer other clues about the health of the congregation.
As demonstrated in the following chart, the congregation has experienced plateau in
Average Worship Attendance (AWA) and Membership over the past 10 years. Average
Worship Attendance is the most helpful measurement of member engagement in a
congregation, so we pay special attention to this figure. This data is compiled from the
past 10 years of your congregation’s reports to the denomination.
Congregational giving is also an indicator of member engagement. We pay attention to
this number because as participants deepen their level of engagement with the church,
their giving usually follows. Often times this indicator lags behind the Average Worship
Attendance figures. That is, worship attendance may decline or grow at a faster rate
than giving.
During the past ten years, the congregation has reported plateau in General Fund
income. This is the total income received by the church. This is demonstrated on the
following chart.
Income figures alone do not tell the whole numbers story. It is important to measure
the congregation’s giving against the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to see if giving has kept
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pace with inflation over the past ten years. Because of inflation, it may be possible for a
congregation to increase its revenue, but actually have fewer funds available for
ministry.
The following chart demonstrates that congregational was losing buying power but is
now even. So, while there has been growth in giving, it has not allowed for growth in
spending by the congregation.
NEW PEOPLE
The final measurement of engagement in the past ten years is the number of additional
people the church has welcomed. It is important to note the relationship between
baptisms and transfers. Comparing these two figures demonstrates the congregation’s
passion for both reaching new Christians AND welcoming those who have already made
their commitment to Christ. Healthy congregations show evidence in both areas.
The following chart shows evidence of additions. This single factor indicates great hope
for the future of the congregation and demonstrates openness to people regardless of
their history.
10CURRENT PARTICIPATION
Gap analysis is a way of looking at the congregation in direct relationship with the
community in which it serves. It is a way of clarifying where you are, what the needs are
in that community and what opportunities for vital ministry remain as you engage that
community. In this section, we compare the congregation’s profile with the community
profile in the previous section. We will look at where participants live in relationship to
the church building. These figures help us determine the “match” you have with the
community around you. Do members live where the congregation is located? If not,
how does this faith community stay in touch with the needs of the neighborhood? In
some cases, congregations exist in an entirely different location in the city from where
their members’ homes are concentrated. They have continued to decline in
membership as they have attempted to “commute” into worship and serve a
neighborhood from which they have grown apart.
The congregation provided profile information of each participant in its congregation,
which we compared with U.S. Census data from a church demographic service partner.
The first graph compares the ages of participants in the congregation with the ages of
those who live in the community. The horizontal axis
shows each of the six living generations. The youngest
is Generation Z, followed by Millennials, Survivors,
Boomers and Silents. The eldest is Builders on the far
right of the chart. The blue bars show the percentage
of participants in the congregation in each category.
The red bar represents the entire U.S. population and
the green bar indicates the community around the
church. The data related to the red and green bar comes from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The chart shows that 53 percent of the congregation is of the Boomer generation or
higher, while only 27 percent of the wider community is in that category. This single
measurement is very important to the future of the congregation. Vital congregations
11will normally experience a 50-50 split between the Boomer-plus generations and the
younger groups.
This chart demonstrates the Racial/Ethnic Gaps of the congregation related to the
community in which it is a part. This data also comes from the U.S. Census. NOTE: It may
severely undercount the Hispanic population in your area who may have avoided the
census taker.
Congregations are still highly segregated on Sunday mornings, which means that gaps
are likely to appear in this arena. However, if the congregation is in a changing area, and
has declining members of their racial/ethnic group represented in the congregation, it is
an indicator of a significant gap. For example, if you are an Anglo congregation in a
community that is 65% African-American, the congregation may have a significant gap
that it should consider in the future (especially if density numbers are low).
Another important indicator of congregational life is the tenure of its participants. While
it is a good sign of stability to have long-term members, it is also important to the
congregation to have new participants. New participants bring innovations, energy and
a new perspective to the church. And new members help you measure the effectiveness
of your efforts to reach beyond your doorsteps into your community with the Good
News.
12Healthy congregations usually demonstrate a 50-50 split with participants who have
been in the church five years or fewer, with those who have been there more than five
years. A congregation with too many “old timers” is not likely to be very receptive to
new ideas, or creativity.
Finally, we have explored the relationship of participants with the location of the church
building. A pin-map has located the home of each participant and shown each in
relation to the church facility.
Most of the church members live within a ten-mile radius of the church and come to
church from all directions.
13A congregation that has a good relationship with its community will normally display at
least half of its households within a seven-minute circle around the church. If no one in
the church lives within a seven -minute drive, the congregation has a severe gap in
relating to the community.
PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT
An additional area of inquiry is to measure how people participate in the life of their
congregation. This begins to illuminate what kind of church we have – and our priorities
as a congregation. Through interviews and a review of the annual church calendar, we
can measure the kinds of engagement people have with the church in four categories:
Spiritual Development: These are activities whose purpose is direct spiritual or
discipleship growth. These could include prayer groups, Bible Studies, Sunday
school classes, or similar gatherings hosted by the church.
Relational Development: These are activities where the purpose is deepening
relationships. It could include social events like meals, fellowship groups, “game
nights,” etc. These groups may feature devotion or prayer time, but they are
primarily social in nature.
Missional Service: These are congregationally-organized expressions of service to
the wider community. It could include mission trips, serving hot meals to people
in need, or tutoring school children.
Decision Making: These are committee meetings and administrative groups that
plan.
As you can see, these are all congregationally run activities, and do not count people’s
individual efforts or the activities of non-church-related groups that use the facility. This
is a measurement of the kinds of activities, and the numbers of people engaged with
them. This measurement is determined by multiplying the total number of hours by the
number of church people involved. Participation at worship services is not included in
this formula.
Ideally, we would see an equal balance of spiritual, relational and missional activities
– each around 30%. If these are out-of-balance, church leaders may want to examine
the church’s calendar and, for all items, ask “What is the purpose of this activity?” Some
activities may have overlapping purposes, but likely will favor one direction over
another.
14The congregation is out of balance in how it spends its time according to data submitted
by a number of congregational leaders. Providing missional service outside of the church
is highly valued in the congregation; however, there is little indication of spiritual
development and relationships. A major portion of church activity revolves around
committee meeting and decision making.
THE COMMUNITY
Located in Northern California, 29 miles East of San Francisco, Concord is the eighth
largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. It lies at the base of Mount Diablo and is the
largest city in Contra Costa County.
The valleys north of Mount Diablo were
inhabited by the Miwok people, who hunted
elk and fished in the numerous streams
flowing from the mountain into the San
Francisco Bay. In 1772, Spanish explorers
began to cross the area, but did not settle
there.
In 1834 the Mexican land grant Rancho
Monte del Diablo at the base of Mount Diablo was granted to Salvio Pacheco (for whom
the nearby town of Pacheco is named). Concord was founded in 1869 under the name
of Todos Santos ("all saints"). It achieved prominence in the 19th century as a result of
most residents of Pacheco relocating to Concord to avoid the devastation of fire and
flood which crippled Pacheco's formerly booming economy. Concord
was incorporated on February 5, 1905.
The area around Concord in the surrounding Ygnacio and Clayton Valleys was a large
agricultural area. Crops that were grown included grapes, walnuts, almonds, wheat, hay,
and even tomatoes. The area to the East was the site of a few enormous ranches
growing wheat, totaling over 5,000 acres—a sea of wheat all the way to the marshes
bordering Suisun Bay.
Concord is bordered on the West by Pleasant Hill and the unincorporated community
of Pacheco, on the South by Walnut Creek, on the Southeast by Clayton, on the
Northeast by Pittsburg and the unincorporated community of Bay Point, and on the
North by the unincorporated community of Clyde. Martinez, the county seat, is located
almost immediately adjacent to Concord on the Northwest.
The city is served by Interstate 680 and State highways 4 and 242. Until 1995, the city
was the Eastern terminus of the Concord line of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
commuter train system; the line has since been extended eastward to Pittsburg/Bay
Point and plans are in place to extend it further to Livermore. The County Connection
provides limited public transportation in the city and to other points in the county.
15Buses run from the North Concord BART station, also known as Martinez BART,
to Martinez, the county seat.
Main thoroughfares include Willow Pass Road, Concord Avenue, Concord Boulevard,
Clayton Road, Monument Boulevard, Ygnacio Valley Road, Oak Grove Road and Treat
Boulevard. To the North and East of downtown is the older residential area of Concord,
with many homes dating back to before World War II. The Southeastern area of the city,
centered along Clayton Road, is primarily residential and was mostly developed in the
1960s and 1970s. In the Southwest area of the city is the primarily Latino neighborhood
known as Four Corners, centered around the intersection of Monument Boulevard and
Oak Grove Road.
The focal point of downtown Concord is the Todo Santos Plaza, which encompasses an
entire city block and is known for its farmers market, free summer concerts, and large
number of surrounding restaurants. People can get off at the nearby Concord BART
station and attend concerts and other events at the Todo Santos. Much of the area
immediately around downtown has recently been redeveloped, with new high-density
apartment and condominium projects to take advantage of the proximity to public
transportation and to the area surrounding the park. Despite this, some crime and
homelessness remain issues in the downtown area.
Concord has been primarily a bedroom community for San Francisco and Oakland over
the last forty years, but during the last decades, the city has become a major regional
suburban East Bay center as jobs within the city have increased. Round Table Pizza is
headquartered in Concord, and corporations with strong Bay Area regional ties, such
as Chevron, Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of America, have established extensive back-
office operations in Concord, diversifying the local economy.
According to the City's 2016 Annual Report, the top employers in the city are: Mt. Diablo
Unified School District, Wells Fargo Credit Center, Chevron Credit Center, PG&E, Bank of
America Technology Center, John Muir Medical Center, Fresenius Medical Care, Safeway
Inc., Adecco Employment Services, and the City of Concord. Concord also has a strong
retail sector including the Sunvalley Mall, which used to be one of the 50 largest malls in
the USA, auto dealerships, Costco, and Fry's Electronics.
Concord is served by the Mount Diablo Unified School District. Mt. Diablo High School
opened in 1901. Other schools include Clayton Valley Charter High School, two Catholic
schools De La Salle High School for boys and Carondelet High School for girls. California
State University, East Bay has a campus in Concord. The Contra Costa County Concord
Library is adjacent to the Concord Civic Center.
16Naval Weapons Station Property Reuse
A new era in Concord’s history is
underway. To the North of the
city of Concord is the former
Concord Naval Weapons Station
(CNWS), which was established in
1942. The station functioned as a
World War II armament storage
depot, supplying ships at Port
Chicago. The CNWS supported
war efforts during the Vietnam
War and through the end of the
Gulf War, processing and shipping
out thousands of tons of material
to Southeast Asia and the Middle
East. Because of changes in
military operations, parts of the
inland area began to be
mothballed and by 1999, the CNWS had only a minimal contingent of military personnel.
Concord Naval Weapons Station
The station consists of two areas: the inland area (5,170 acres), which is mostly within
the Concord city limits, and tidal area (7,630 acres). The inland portion includes almost
all of the developable acreage. In addition, the project also includes 18 acres of
property, owned by the BART District, and a Coast Guard housing area.
The inland area is being used to test autonomous vehicle technology. Called “GoMentum
Station”, the 5,000-acre proving ground for self-driving vehicles is one of 10 officially
designated pilot proving grounds identified by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
17Over 50 companies have permits to test out self-driving cars. The GoMentum facility
features simulated real-world driving conditions, including infrastructure like bridges and
parking lots to replicate some of the toughest conditions encountered by drivers and cars,
without having to wait for them to happen in real life.
After the inland portion of the CNWS was approved for closure by the U. S. Department
of Defense in 2005, the community began to consider the ultimate uses and identity of
the area in 2006. In 2012, the city completed a Reuse Plan that includes developing the
land, while keeping a large portion for open-space and parks projects. The Reuse Plan
calls for the development of over 12,000 new homes and over 6 million square feet of
commercial floor space on approximately 1,500 acres. The plan envisions that the
former Concord Naval Weapons Station area land will be part of a land transfer to the
City of Concord and the East Bay Regional Park district over a three-phased period of
time.
The conveyance of the first parcels of approximately 515 acres to the City of Concord for
development is targeted for spring 2019. Phase 2 will be from 2030-2039 and will transfer
979 acres, and Phase 3 will be from 2040-2046 with a transfer of 779 acres.
The specific plan for the first phase development calls for creating a second “town center”
near the Concord BART station with 1.7 million square feet of commercial space, two
community centers, a new elementary school, and 4,392 residential units. 25% of this new
housing will be affordable units. In additions, 79 acres of open space, parks and
greenways will be incorporated in this phase which will also include infrastructure for a
large Sports Complex that is to be part of the new recreation area.
18Approximately 120 acres in close proximity to the North Concord BART station will be
set aside for a campus “capable of accommodating a variety of education, research and
cultural uses such as a university or research and development center.” The lack of a
local university presence has been viewed as a barrier to supporting innovative and
entrepreneurial job development, limiting the presence of major industries and
sustainable wage employment opportunities.
The East Bay Regional Park District, in partnership with the National Park Service, is
working towards receiving the remaining 2,540 Acres to establish a new Concord Hills
Regional Park. “Concord Hills Regional Park” is the working name for a world class
regional park that will provide a full range of trail opportunities, wildlife preservation,
and environmental and historic interpretation. Initial phases of Regional Park
development are expected to include opening of lands on the Southern portion of the
site to picnicking, hiking, and biking as well as development of regional trails, which will
be followed by recreation facilities, and environmental education centers, including a
joint visitor center honoring the history of the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National
Memorial. The first conveyance to the East Bay Regional Park District is now targeted for
the fall of 2018.
Once the Area Reuse Plan is completed, Concord will end up with 12,272 total Housing
Units of which 15 percent will be deed-restricted for below market rate affordable
housing. The number of people living in the new area and working there will grow to
18,609 in the next decade, and 55,834 in the next. This all will be happening within one-
19half mile to 2 miles of First Christian Church down Willow Pass Road. Willow Pass Road,
which the church is located on, is one of the two main access thoroughfares into the new area.
Improvements to Willow Pass Road and a new bridge are contemplated too. Willow
Pass will be subject to much reconstruction and widening to handle the additional
traffic. This will have a huge impact on the community right around the church.
There was some concern recently when on June 22, 2018 TIME reported that the Navy
was considering converting Concord Naval Weapons Station into a detention facility to
hold up to 47,000 immigrants apprehended at the Southern border. They reported that
the Secretary of the Navy listed the Concord base among sites to construct “temporary
and austere” tent cities to house the wave of people being arrested at the U.S.-Mexico
border.
The revelation stunned residents in the Contra Costa County community and sent local
and federal officials into a frenzy as they tried to track down details on the plan to
convert the former Naval Weapons Station. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, said later
that a possible detention center in the Bay area appeared to be ruled out when
Homeland Security officials told him that the Naval Weapons Station is not being
considered and that all of California is off the table for now. He pointed out, however,
that California’s ability to halt an immigration detention center on federal land is
limited. It was subsequently announced that two military bases in Texas have been
selected.
Vital churches take seriously the area immediately around their location. They know
that their congregation is in the best position to serve and be a spiritual home to those
who live, work and attend school nearby. Congregations that have little or no
connection to the immediate neighborhood need to ask: What integrity does our
congregation have in the eyes of the people who live and work near here? Why does
our congregation choose to remain in this location today? Do we have a heart for those
in this immediate community?
The area used for your demographics research is captured in the following map.
20It is also possible to identify key subcultures in the community. It is important to
understand people groups or subcultures because it is widely confirmed that the
Christian faith travels easiest along existing relational ties, among people who share a
similar subculture. Therefore, a congregation needs to understand the particularities of
the people group(s) nearest the church and adapt its ministries for that particular
people group OR relocate to another part of town. Let’s examine a few more key people
groups in this area.
“Mosaic” profiles are lifestyle groupings of people who share similar behaviors, social
characteristics, attitudes and values. Designed by Experian (a very large marketing
company), there are 71 distinct Mosaic groups (or segments of the population) in the
U.S. These groupings are based on multiple socio-economic and life-stage factors.
21Each Mosaic group is identified with a number (e.g. 8 is “Babies and Bliss” and 48 is
“Southern Rural Bliss”). Some groups have natural affinity with others because of similar
characteristics, while others mix like oil and water. The chart above shows the relative
closeness or distance between the 71 different lifestyle segments. The distance
between the dots and the color of the dots illustrate affinities between the groups. For
example, group B07 will relate easiest with groups A06, B10, and D16, but not so easily
with groups O55 or Q65 (at opposite sides of the chart). This is important for churches
to consider so that congregations may better understand the “life-ways” needs of
particular sub-groups/cultures who are closest to their location. What we are after is a
way for the missional “niche” which is yours to meet the needs of the people in your
community.
The map below shows much of the community around your church. The church can be
seen in the middle right (marked with a red pin). Each of the colored areas is a Census
Block Group. Each block group contains an average of 1,500 people. The block groups
are color-coded based on the dominant Mosaic profile found among the people in that
small area.
22This map shows the makeup of the immediate neighborhood of the church by Mosaic
Profiles:
23More detailed descriptions for these groups can be found in Appendix C. For
descriptions of the ALL MOSAIC codes, visit the Interactive Mosaic Guide online at:
http://missioninsite.com/missionimpact-guide/
The table above demonstrates some of the sociological dynamics taking place in this
immediate context. There is a HIGH concentration of “Boomer” segments (C13, C11,
E19) there are older populations in the area too (J34, Q65). There are some small areas
that are much younger (O54, K37). None of these groups would be considered
extremely affluent—however the church does draw people from affluent areas.
When we compare the actual Mosaic profile with the congregation we can see where
the congregation has had penetration, and where it has not.
24Finally, what do participants in the community do for a living compared to the
congregation?
So, what does all this mean and what does it have to do with ministry for your faith
community? Some questions to consider when observing this data include:
What do these largest Mosaic groups have in common with the people of our
congregation?
What may be some gaps (or under-represented groups) between our church and
our immediate community?
Looking at the description of the largest one or two Mosaic groups in our
community, what ministry needs are likely to be present among these people?
What style of worship would they most likely be drawn to? What types of
community groups are already effectively reaching out to these people?
ONLINE PRESENCE
In today’s socially-networked world, many people approach a congregation virtually
before ever going to a congregation’s physical location. People of all ages are likely to
experience the congregation initially through their attempt to find it online.
Because every congregation is unique, there is no one correct way that they should
make information available in the digital realm. This is good news for congregations with
little or no experience with digital age. There are, however, some fundamental things
that make it possible for people to gain information about the congregation.
25The church has an attractive website which is easily found by Googling the name of the
church. The church maintains its website with up-to-date events and information
attractively displayed. It would help a visitor if the Sunday worship services and Sunday
school times and the location with a map and directions were prominently listed on the
home page. The “CONNECT” tab is where to find worship times. The website features
recordings of the Sunday sermons. The Facebook page also helps the congregation keep
in touch.
26FACILITIES EXAMINATION
In consideration of the congregation’s resources, it is important to evaluate the facilities
to determine if they are of appropriate size for the current congregation. It is also
important to consider whether there is a growing list of deferred maintenance issues or
other features that may inhibit the vitality of the congregation.
The church’s facilities are contained in five buildings located on a 2.32-acre lot. It is
estimated that the facilities are approximately 21,048 sq. feet in size. The property was
valued at $2.8 - $3.4 million when the church applied for its loan in 2014. The buildings
are insured for $3,661,625 and the contents for $293,210 for a total of $3,954,835.
Based on Average Worship Attendance, a congregation of this size would have adequate
space in a building of 8,630 sq. feet, meaning that the current congregation is only using
41% of its current space. This is demonstrated on the following chart.
27THE SACRED WALK
Worshipers begin what has been called “the sacred walk” the moment their foot hits
walk says volumes to members and visitors alike about the self-esteem and vitality of
the congregation. The “sacred walk” helps worshipers prepare for the experience of
worship at your church. For that reason, this walk should guide the worshiper clearly
and directly —and as pleasantly as possible—to the sanctuary or even to office spaces.
Signage and a clear, safe walkway are essential to this experience. The impression on
guests continues inside the building. While they might not expect lavish facilities, guests
will be made more welcome and comfortable by cleanliness, neatness and general care
for the facility. Unkempt facility and grounds send an unintentional message: “This is
not a place even WE like very much.” Clearly, that is not a very effective evangelism
tool.
What follows is the impression the assessor had upon embarking on the “sacred walk”
at the church.
28LOCATION AND OUTSIDE APPEARANCE
The church facility is located on Willow Pass Road, about seven blocks from the Todos
Santos Plaza, in the center of Concord. This prime location is contiguous to the Civic
Center which is a complex of city government offices and the local Contra Costa County
Library.
An illuminated sign with changeable messages announces the church to people that
drive by the location on Willow Pass Road. A companion sign announces the Montessori
School also located on the church campus.
The entrance is visible from traffic passing by, however, the buildings are partially
obscured by trees and planting in the front lawn area maintained by the city.
29When the church was built in the 1950’s people would seek out the closest Disciples
Church to worship at. Today, most people access churches based on programmatic
offerings. The church would have to work hard to increase visibility.
PARKING LOT AND WALKWAYS
The church purchased a former tomato farm property at this site, with its own well, that
was originally about seven acres, before the excess land was sold to the City of Concord.
As part of the deal, the church has access to additional parking on Sundays and for
special occasions in the city parking lot in the rear of the original property. The City also
helps to maintain the landscaped area in front of the church campus and supplies water
from a nearby well for church use.
Driving habits for each congregation vary widely. Some congregations average only one
person per car parked in the lot; others pack in families. Still others are located in dense
urban areas and pride themselves for being within walking distance of the local public
transportation. The place in which a car is parked, and the control the church has over
that parking also determines capacity. Architects have developed some formulas in
estimating the worship capacity of your church, based on parking. Based on the location
of the congregation’s identified parking, capacity is calculated on the chart below:
30SANCTUARY
The Sanctuary can be reached either from the outside directly into Narthex or from an
adjacent lobby area. The wide center aisle, rows of light-colored wooden pews, below a
high vaulted ceiling, bring a feeling of spaciousness. Rows of comfortable chairs in front
of the pews, with room for wheel chairs, provide seating flexibility. Light streams in
from the high side windows, and from suspended light fixtures above, to create a sense
of welcome. Although two very large, six-blade ceiling fans hanging from the ceilings
circulate the air, plans and money are in place to air condition the Sanctuary building
this year.
A low altar and the pulpit, below a tall white cross, grace the Chancel. The organ and
the choir seating is on the right of the Chancel and the piano and the band instruments
are on the left. With the departure of the choir director about ten years ago, the choir
disbanded and the band replaced them to provide the music. The audio visual and
sound system with current technology are in place. Sermons are recorded and posted
on line.
The Sanctuary building was recently renovated to create more flexibility and ADA
compliance. A lobby entrance area with enlarged restrooms was created for the
building. The rear of the Sanctuary was partitioned off for a Narthex area. The long
wooden pews were angled towards the center aisle and realligned to provide more
31space between the rows. The first few rows up front were removed and replaced with
about 40 comfortable chairs. There is an area to accommodate wheel chairs. Hand rails
to the Chancel were installed. The Sanctuary was refurbished with new flooring,
carpets, and curtains.
The area around the Baptistry, beneath
the colorful dove mosaic, was opened
wider. The original cross was relocated
from the front wall to the rear above
the Narthex and a new tall white-tile
cross was positioned above the mosaic.
The former library space was
refurbished renamed the Plambeck
room. It is used for Adult Sunday class
prior to the single service held at 10:30
am in the Sanctuary. The former choir room, now called the Wonder and Worship
Room, is repurposed to provide space for the little ones when they are excused from
the service after prayer. Coffee fellowship after church is in the Lobby.
Based on generally accepted measurements, we know that when a sanctuary is more
than 80% capacity on a regular basis, it will impact worship attendance with an
overcrowded feeling. In the same manner, if a sanctuary is less than 40% of capacity it
will also impact worship attendance as participants feel it is uncomfortably empty.
It is estimated that the sanctuary has a total seating capacity of 172. Based on the
Average Worship Attendance of 107, the current sanctuary usage is within the
appropriate capacity range.
32GATHERING, FELLOWSHIP AND EDUCATION SPACES
The fellowship building features a large, well-lit room with windows on two sides. A
partitioned side room provides more space. The hall can accommodate up to 120
people at round tables for a sit-down meal. A kitchen and scullery abut the fellowship
space and is equipped with large refrigerator and a six-burner gas range and two ovens.
The plumbing was recently upgraded. However, the kitchen would probably not pass an
inspection because
the hood over the
stove is not
connected. If the
kitchen were brought
up to code, the church
could then again
prepare meals for the
homeless.
The Contra Costa
Bridge Center uses the
Fellowship Hall on a
regular basis. They
pay a rent to the
church and help with
utilities. They supply their own bridge tables and chairs and have made improve- ments
to the fellowship space including lighting fans and air-conditioning. They also planted an
attractive outdoor rose garden.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER SPACES
The church office, pastors’ offices, and work room are located in a building opposite the
sanctuary and fellowship buildings. The office is open from 10 am to 4pm on Mondays
through Thursdays.
After the original building
was constructed over 50
years ago, a separate
education building was
built. Originally, six
classrooms were set up by
age groups and every
room was full. The
structure contains more,
and the six classrooms,
meeting rooms and
restrooms are now used
33for adults. Ten Alcoholic Anonymous groups meet weekly at the church. A well-
appointed conference room is available for church committee meetings.
A second classroom wing, constructed later, has been occupied by The Montessori
School of Concord for over 25 years. They lease another five classrooms and an office,
plus the use of two outdoor playground areas.
A free-standing octagonal Youth building is set up with an open area and an old billiard
table but is now in bad shape and not used as much. At the rear corner of the property,
near the second playground, are two storage structures – a building (labeled “God’s
Squad”) for maintenance equipment and a shipping container for storing the annual
Mexican Mission materials and equipment.
SYSTEMS
The church has been very prone to break-ins and vandalism. All of the exterior locks
have been strengthened with metal plates. Some of the exit doors are now equipped
with metal bars as a deterrent. A security alarm system is in place. There is no fire
alarm system. Fire extinguishers are strategically placed and their inspection tags are
current. Emergency exits are clearly marked. The interior signage and graphics
throughout the buildings and campus are very good for visitors.
The electrical system and plumbing was upgraded in the 2016 renovation of the
Sanctuary and Fellowship buildings. Outlets are properly grounded.
The furnaces in the building are original and have not been replaced since the buildings
were constructed as early as the 1950’s. This is about to be rectified. A former organist,
who passed away in 2012, left half of his estate to the church to air-condition the
sanctuary. Engineering is completed and contracts are being signed. The electrical
service will be upgraded to accommodate five HVAC units to replace the old furnaces.
The one-story church buildings are at ground level. Although they have not been
retrofitted, they nevertheless survived earthquakes in the past, including the severe
Loma Prieta quake in Northern California in 1989, with no structural damage.
The Montessori School has security and alarm systems required under the term of its
license.
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ITEMS
Some congregations have poorly tended facilities. These facilities are not just a “turn
off” for guests and members. They also can become a costly money pit that defers
mission. Preventive maintenance is normally less costly than emergency maintenance.
Unfortunately, that lesson may not be learned until it’s too late. Many congregations fall
behind on maintenance due to declining funds and are then forced into making
34emergency repairs they simply cannot afford. We noted these items that the church
appears to have “put off”:
Perhaps the city could be asked to trim the trees that obscured the buildings to
make the church more visible to passersby.
The front sidewalk surface is uneven.
Some of the planters and lawn areas are dry where not reached by sprinklers.
The original main Sanctuary roof has three ceiling leaks.
The Youth Building roof has had severe leaks and interior beams are wrapped in
roofing paper for protection from water. Buckets are used to catch the water
during heavy rains.
The ends of some of the exterior beams reflect dry rot damage.
There are no gas shutoff valves in the kitchen and the hood over the range is not
attached. The kitchen needs to be brought up to code to again be used actively.
USE OF THE FACILITIES
The church building is a valuable resource for both the congregation and the
community. A good indicator of a congregation’s willingness to engage a community is
by looking at how the church uses this resource. Based on total building use, the graph
below demonstrates the percentage of total usage by outside groups. These groups are
open to the community and often times led by people other than church participants.
Congregants are often amazed at how little a building gets used. We divided your facility
into “kinds” of space. The sanctuary is considered “worship” space, the fellowship hall
and narthex “fellowship” space, etc. Using your church calendar, we have calculated the
35hours each kind of space is used and calculated the percentage of time it is utilized. This
percentage is based on the space being available just 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Congregational finances are fairly complicated because each congregation tracks its
income and expenses very differently. Congregations tend to have a lot of “restricted”
funds, which can only be used for specific purposes, and which may or may not enhance
the ministry of the congregation. In this review we have done our best to evaluate the
financial strength of the congregation based on the norms we have observed from many
congregations.
Our first area of review is to look at the congregation’s income sources. It is important
to see where the income for supporting the congregation’s ministry comes from, and
how much the church relies on outside sources of income.
This table indicates the income sources for your
church in relationship to congregational offerings.
At the minimum, a congregation should support
its expenses with at least 70% of its income
coming from offerings. Congregations that rely
too heavily on outside sources of income will
often compromise their ministry for the needs of
those who provide outside income. Last year,
25.3 percent of Operating Income came from
building users.
36Based on profile data of the congregation, the combined household income of this
congregation is $3,253,134. This means on average, households are contributing
sacrificially.
When we consider the expenses of the congregation, we group expenses in four main
categories; Salary Support, Building and Administration, Program Expenses, and Mission
Giving.
Salary Support includes salaries of all church staff and benefits associated with
employing them. Such benefits would include social security offsets, health insurance,
pension etc. It does not include costs such as auto expense or office reimbursements.
Most congregations will expend about 50% of their income on salary support.
Experience has shown that congregations that exceed 50% in this category are rarely
over paying their clergy.
Building and Administration costs are those associated with running the church office
and the building. Typical costs include insurance, utility bills, maintenance and yard
upkeep. A typical congregation will support building and administration costs with 25%
of their income. Congregations that are not “right-sized” find themselves paying more
for facilities, usually at the expense of their program.
Program Expenses are costs associated with running a program. This would include faith
development, evangelism, and worship materials, choir music and supplies, advertising,
and other resources and supplies that enable the program to operate. This is usually
about 15% of a church’s budget. Since this is the place where most congregations can
control spending they will usually decrease their spending in this category first.
Mission Giving is giving that the congregation has contributed to both denominational
mission causes as well as local mission causes. Mission giving trends are about 10% of a
vital congregation’s budget as a starting point. Congregations will often reduce their
mission spending after depleting their program spending. Many mainline congregations,
in past decades, contributed 30-to-50% of their income to mission giving.
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